Ambrosia Severn is a talented young orthopedic surgeon, and was about to branch off in an exciting new direction in the field of limb replacement, when she made that one fateful mistake—she took a seacoast vacation. The man who had watched her for fifteen years made sure she was dead—but only to the world. Niven is a descendant of Quen star-lords stranded on Earth thousands of years ago. His original mission directive was simple: Protect the beautiful and talented young doctor. He re-wrote the script according to his heart’s desire and today Amy is very much alive among the people whose ancestors came down from the stars. She is grateful to Niven’s kinfolk for offering her refuge when she most needed it, but she also thinks they’ve been hiding their homeland long enough. Especially now, when Niven’s two sons keep her busy, she doesn’t want them to grow up in the isolation of the elite island society. However, there is a difference between a measured exposure of the Island, and ripping off its cloaking screen. But that’s precisely what Persis, the ruthless siren wants to do—and in the process destroy the world that’s hosted her ancestors.

Like Gillian Matthews, the heroine in her debut romance novel, "The Reunion," Marina Martindale began her career as a graphic designer and artist, and several of her paintings have been featured in juried art shows. Over time, however, she discovered that writing was her true life’s passion.

“I love creating conflicted characters,” says Martindale. “They’re more like the people we meet in real life. I also like the complexity of romance. It’s an opportunity to delve into the human condition and try to understand what motivates us to make the choices we make.”

Martindale draws her inspiration from her own life experiences, as well as those of the people around her. The stories, however, are fiction.

“The path to true love is never easy,” adds Martindale. “Some are haunted by people from their past. Others have been deceived or betrayed by the ones they trusted the most. We all make bad choices, although we may not realize it at the time. My stories are about the unintended consequences of those bad choices, how the characters resolve them, and how they grow and become better people as a result.”

Marina Martindale resides in Tucson, Arizona. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, photography, music, and cooking.

What inspires you to write?
I'm usually inspired by my own life experiences, and oftentimes it's a small event that may have happened many years ago. The other day I was reminiscing about the time when a cousin invited me to her going away party. As I was thinking about it, I suddenly had an "aha" moment. A going away party could be a great place to start a book. Why is this character leaving? Where is she going? What is she trying to accomplish? And who is standing in her way? That's how I create a plotline.

Tell us about your writing process.
I start by writing a treatment, which is a short summary of what the story is about. This is where I determine my starting point, describe the main characters, and how I think the story should end. Then I put it away, because once I start creating my characters I'll get new ideas. Sometimes a minor character will be interesting enough to become a major character, or I'll realize that one of the antagonists really doesn't fit the part, so he or she will become a supporting character instead. By the time I'm finished the beginning and ending of the story will match the treatment, but the middle part will be something entirely different.

How do you develop your characters?
As mentioned, I determine my major characters in my treatment, but once I put pen to paper their personalities start to emerge, and they may want a different role. A good example is Jeremy, from "The Reunion." Jeremy was the leading man's son and was intended to be a rogue character. He would do his dirty deed and make a hasty exit. But as I got to know Jeremy, I realized he wasn't an evil guy at all. He was, however, attracted to Gillian, his father's love interest, so he became a rival, competing with his father for her affection. Readers tell me this romantic triangle was their favorite part of the novel.

Who are your favorite authors?
I read a lot of Danielle Steele when I was younger. She had a way of creating interesting, characters, and her stories moved at a reasonably fast pace.

Natasha embarks upon the holiday of a lifetime with her brother, looking forward to exploring the ancient sites Egypt has to offer. What she hasn’t bargained for is spending her holiday cruising along the Nile with Kyle Richardson, a handsome but moody archaeologist. Despite taking an instant dislike to Kyle, Natasha finds herself increasingly drawn to the man, particularly as his interactions with her brother reveal a gentler, more caring side to his character.

Having lost everyone he has ever loved, Kyle is a loner, believing himself to be cursed. He now spends his life moving around Egypt, ensuring he never lingers anywhere long enough to form meaningful attachments. Despite his better judgement, he finds himself drawn to this feisty young woman, but is afraid of the deeper feelings she stirs in him.

Can his feelings for Natasha convince him that it’s worth taking a risk on love?

Following the recent death of her father, and in need of both a job and somewhere to live, Kiya takes a housekeeping job on the spur of the moment. She soon finds herself living in a beautiful but neglected mansion, working for a strange and reclusive man.

St. John is a man scarred by the past, both physically and emotionally, and is determined to live out his life alone. They are two very different people, drawn to each other almost against their will, but can Kiya convince St. John that he is not the monster he believes himself to be?